The Hospital Wing and the Astronomy Tower

Ginny nodded. "It makes perfect sense," she said. "And your father is sort of like He Who Must Not Be Named's right hand, isn't he?"

"Possibly," said Draco. "But call him Voldemort, easier to say."

Ginny shuddered. "V-v-ol-d-dem-ort," she stuttered. "Is that better?"

"Say it faster next time," said Draco. "I don't think he heard you quite clearly that time, and how will he be able to kill you if you didn't call him?" This remark earned Draco a slap on the arm from Ginny.

"But as I was saying," Ginny continued. "It makes perfect sense; your father always spoiled you, but never allowed you to love anyone, or anything."

"No," said Draco. "He never stopped me from falling in love."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ginny asked uncomfortably.

Draco shrugged. "Nothing in particular," he said. "But still, it's possible you might be right; I mean, my father spoiled me, yes, and he did teach me to hate, but neither of my parents taught me to love, I taught myself."

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked.

"I mean, well... I don't hate everything, I don't hate you, and I don't always hate Blaise, and I didn't hate Crabbe and Goyle, I just thought they were really stupid, but now that they're gone, I must say I miss them."

"Gone?" said Ginny. "Where did they go?"

"I don't know," said Draco. "Nobody does, we haven't seen them for a few days now." Then he shook his head. "That isn't important just yet. What is important is whether or not you're right in thinking that I'm this Draco sacrifice thing, because if I am, I only have untill February, and after taht, I'll be a heartless, souless, killer of human life."

"Oh! Don't," Ginny squealed.

"I thought you'd gotten over being the whiny Weasley in your first year," said Draco. "When you had tea and crumpets with the Dark Lord."

Ginny kicked Draco under the table, aiming for his leg, but missing slightly, causing him to yell out in pain. "Ginny!" he yelled. "That was uncalled for!"

"I don't care," she said. "You deserved it."

"I figured out it was you killing all those Mudbloods just after Christmas, you know," Draco went on. "But I didn't say anything, because first of all, it would have been embarassing that a Weasley was doing the work for the Dark Lord, while a Malfoy sat around and watched; and secondly because I hoped you wouldn't be expelled, this school was the only place I could see you and I would miss you, plus, that'd be one less person to torment."

"If you felt that way about me then why did you torment me?" Ginny pondered.

"Because, that's the way life is," Draco replied. "And it was fun to see you hurt, I don't know why."

"The reason you're so cruel is because your father trained you," said Ginny. "He had enough love for his only son to be so kind as to make this sacrifice easier. You know, making your heart so shallow so that it would be less difficult on you. I think that's very sweet."

"But he beat me, you think that's sweet?" Draco asked. "And my mother's a bitch too."

"At least you have less to let go of," said Ginny.

"Yeah, but I feel like I'm sort of using you know," Draco said. "Just to get back all the love and care I lost when I was a child."

"It's all right," said Ginny. "I'm only using you too."

"That makes me feel so much better," said Draco, sarcastically.

"That didn't come out right," said Ginny. "Let me try again... I actually sort of like the idea of helping you, I just can't put it into words, but you know what I mean don't you?"

Draco shrugged. "Not really. But I never know what you're on about," he said.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "All right, back to this sacrifice thing," she said. "I think that if we both work together, V-vold-er-mort won't be able to finish this sacrificial thing. Are you with me, Draco? Would you like to keep your soul?"

Draco crossed his arms. "No," he said. "I want to serve the Lord. It's my duty."

"That's just been hammered into your brain," said Ginny. "You could create your own destiny, rather than live this planned out life."

"But I want to do what's been planned," said Draco plainly. "Don't try to complicate things because you're so much in love with me."

"I'm not so much in love with you," Ginny protested. "And I'm doing this for you, so just agree with me, and we'll be just fine."

"You are in love with me, and no, I want to serve the Lord," said Draco.

"Stop being difficult," Ginny shrieked. "And I'm not in love with you."

"Fine," said Draco. "But let's go somewhere else, the library's boring."

"Because you can't read?" Ginny suggested. "And that 'fine,' did that mean you'll agree?"

"Give me some time Ginny," said Draco. "And I'll let you know."

The two of them stood up without another word and left the library. Draco led Ginny to the Astronomy Tower without even thinking, it was just instinctive of him.

"Why are we here?" Ginny asked.

"Because," said Draco, pulling Ginny closer to him. "It'll help me clear my mind." Then he kissed her, and she didn't protest.

***

Harry didn't know what had happened. He only remembered walking back to the castle from Hagrid's hut with Ron and Hermione, and then they were gone. After that, he could not remember a thing, but he heard Cho's voice. She was the last person he wanted to see right now; he'd broken up with her before going with Ron and Hermione. He'd felt better, but somehow worse, after breaking it off with Cho. He had a feeling of guilt somewhere inside him, and Ron and Hermione had suggested that a visit to Hagrid's would help him clear his mind.

"HARRY POTTER!" shrieked Cho.

Harry kept his eyes closed. He was aware that he was in a bed of some sort, but it was not his own, and he was in an unfamiliar place.

"YOU BREAK UP WITH ME, AND THEN YOU SLEEP WITH SOME STUPID SLUT, IN MY BED!" Cho went on. "HOW COULD YOU BE SO... SO... NASTY?!"

Harry's eyes snapped open. What she said couldn't possibly be true, could it? He was in a bed with blue bed sheets and blue hangings. Ravenclaw. He sat up quickly, and looked around the room. Cho was standing over the bed, hands on her hips, shaking with rage, and... Blaise Zabini? Blaise was standing, (fully dressed) on the other side of the room, her arms crossed over her chest, smirking cruelly as she often did.

"GET OUT!" Cho screamed. "GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! BOTH OF YOU! AND YOU WILL BE EXPELLED FOR COMING INTO THE RAVENCLAW DORMITORIES! HOW THE HELL YOU DID IT, I'LL NEVER KNOW, BUT BELIEVE ME..."she gasped for breath. "YOU... WILL... BE... EXPELLED!!!"

Cho had been kind enough to give Harry a few moments to throw his clothing back on, before literally throwing him out. He and Blaise walked down the corridor outside Ravenclaw tower in silence for a few minutes, Blaise still smirking. Finally, Harry spoke.

"So, did it really," he started. "Did we really... er..."

"No," said Blaise. "It was a set up. But I did get to see you naked," she said, in a boastful voice.

"But... How?" asked Harry.

"It all started with Malcolm Baddock," Blaise began. "See, he was the one who knocked you out, and brought you to me, and I got the password into Ravenclaw from Malcolm's brother, who knows the password because he always sneaks in there with my sister, which is disturbing, because they're only fourteen." She paused for a moment to think about the disturbing thought. "But anyway," she continued. "It was pretty straight forward from then on."

"That's, er... clever," said Harry. "And risky, considering we've both been expelled."

"Ah, worry not, my dear," said Blaise. "No evidence, no expultion."

"Cho's Head Girl," said Harry. "And she thinks that we... er... well, you know."

"And since she knows, the whole school will know, yeah?" said Blaise.

Harry nodded. "Exactly."

"Well, if everyone thinks we're having fun, why not make the best of it?" Blaise suggested.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt," said Harry, sighing.

Blaise smiled. She felt like her old self once again, sneeking off to the Astronomy Tower in the dark of the night with some boy she'd just manipulated. Life was starting to get back on track again, untill...

"GINNY?!"

"Harry?"

"Blaise?"

"Draco?"

"Malfoy?"

"Potter?"

"No way," said Ginny.

"It seems so," said Draco. "Blaise and Potter, unlikely."

"Put some clothes on, Ginny," said Blaise.

Ginny and Draco (who were almost half naked)Â hurriedly recovered their clothing and re-dressed themselves.

***

Ron and Hermione were seated in the common room with nothing to do.

"Why don't we go to the Astronomy Tower?" Ron suggested.

"No," said Hermione. "There's no point really, we could just wait for Lavender and Seamus to go away."

"Which they won't," Ron pointed out. "They never do, so let's save ourselves the trouble and go to the Astronomy Tower."

"Well," said Hermione. "I do need to finish my star maps for December."

"Oh shut it," said Ron. "So are we going?"

Hermione nodded in reply, and they both exited Gryffindor Tower.

***

"Ginny?!"

"Ron?"

"Weasley?"

"What the--?"

"Aww, not this again," said Ginny.

"Well," Blaise sneered. "We picked a bad time to come up here."

"I told you we shouldn't come," Hermione whispered.

"I'm glad we did," said Ron. "Because now we can stop whatever the Hell's going on."